Thursday, January 2, 2014

New Year's Resolutions (Who needs 'Em??)

I have never really  been one to make New Year's Resolutions!  They have never really been for me.  Though I am also a procrastinator and a quitter... there are probably 100 projects that I either have the stuff to make and never started or have 1/2 started and never finished. 

I've (in the past 9 years) blamed it on the fact that I have kids. (And kept adding at an alarming rate) so who has time for even the most menial of tasks let alone arts and craft time.  I sometimes don't even have time to shower on any given day let alone take a ton of time for myself.  Who am I kidding?? I would just like 10 minutes to go to the bathroom ALONE!  But, with 6 children, that may not happen at least for another 10 years! 

This year, I have decided not to really make resolutions per say.. However, I do want to make some life and habit changes for this coming year.  I read on one of my FB friends status (Thanks Diane), that we should choose a word and make changes towards that "word" over the course of the next year. 

So, that is what I am doing.  I have taken about 24 hours to decide what my "word" is going to be.  I could probably find 100 different words that I need to work on, but one ALWAYS comes to mind to make my life feel more in my control and hopefully make me feel more grounded if I can focus on it.

Organization is my word for the year.  This is something I need to work on.  I keep a very strict calendar and I typically know what I am doing on any given day at least a week in advance.  I keep three-four calendars.  One on the fridge, one on our phones, one in my purse and one on the counter.  I also keep a secret one in the cupboard that we don't want everyone that comes to our house to know about... that one holds information that I really only want to share with my husband!  lol

However the rest of my house is a chaotic mess.  Now, don't go calling hoarders (unless you are talking about the floor of my laundry room, then make that call :)  )  I am not a hoarder, at least I don't think I am.  I can pitch with the  best of them.  However with 6 kids, 4 of whom are in school, the paper clutter and clothes clutter is OFF.THE.CHARTS!!  How can 4 kids in school generate that much paper.. I mean seriously.  I try to only keep the really important stuff, but when you're 9, 8 and 6,  and 6, EVERYTHING is important.  

I feel like if my house were organized and there was a place for almost everything, I could stay caught up.  That might be a pipe dream the first weekend I am gone from home and Joe is here with all 6 kids by himself.    However, I feel that organization is the first step in me getting in my groove here at home with the two new kiddo's.  It's taking me some time to get adjusted.  The kids are great and doing great... way better than we could have ever expected thus far, but I on the other hand, I am having a more difficult to the addition of two children.  

I sleep better in an organized room.... that's a proven fact for me.  I function better in an organized home and I have more motivation to be productive in an organized space.  Anyone I have ever worked with can verify this.  My desk was always clean... perfectly so.. organized probably more than most people care to look at.  

Home should be that way.. not perfect, but organized so if someone wants something, I can walk right to where it IS and grab it for them rather than having to dig through three rooms before I realize it's not in any of them and it's in the garage because I stuck it out there when someone called and said they were coming over in 10 minutes and it needed a temporary home.

A neighbor came over the other day and came in to deliver a Christmas present for us.  My house was clean... however it was cluttered and I was embarrassed.  I don't want that to happen again.  
 
So, what am I going to do to get organized you ask?  I am not really sure beyond a couple things.  

I am not going to bed until and  unless my sink is clean of dishes.  It stressed me to wake up to have dishes in the sink... so on night two of the year, we are on our way to that goal.. two nights of a clean sink going to bed and it's been so much better in the mornings.

The second thing that I am going to do is this challenge.  

http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/04/4-weeks-to-a-more-organized-home-assignment-1.html



Myself and 21 other people on FB have agreed to motivate each other to do keep up on this activity and hopefully after 4 weeks we'll be a better version of our homes and our lives.  I fully intend to continue on this  on a monthly basis for some of these things to keep it in my rotation.  I have added some of this to one of my many calenders and we are starting it on Monday, January 6th.  If you'd like to join us and be part of our FB group, please let me know, and I will be happy to add you!!

I will keep you posted on my progress every couple days.  I might even post pictures of what I throw out an what I organize that particular day to track my progress!

Let's get Organized!!!!

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